The Noose Tightens

Even with a new minder trying to bring some order to the White House, President Donald Trump is in a lot of trouble – both politically and legally. As Congress prepared to leave for its August recess, it was learned that Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump's Russia ties, had empaneled a grand jury.

WASHINGTON, DC – Even with a new minder trying to bring some order to the White House, President Donald Trump remains in a heap of trouble. The recent installation of retired Marine Corps general John Kelly, formerly Trump’s Secretary for Homeland Security, as Chief of Staff, replacing the hapless Reince Priebus, has reduced some of the internal chaos and induced a bit more discipline in Trump’s behavior. But all this could change any day, or at any moment.

Kelly has put a stop to aides sauntering into the Oval Office whenever they felt like it – Trump tends to echo the last person he’s spoken with – and has demanded that papers and memos for the president be submitted to him first. For the time being, at least, the president’s tweeting has been reduced in number and nuttiness.

Keen Trump observers expect that he’ll soon begin to chafe under the discipline Kelly has encouraged. Understanding Trump’s enormous ego, Kelly is said to encourage gently rather than instruct. Kelly also has the advantage of Trump’s high regard for generals.

This pathetic screed contains nothing but speculation and displays an angry leftist American journalist who cannot get over Hillary's loss to President Trump (note she never refers to him as "President Trump"). The Neo-Marxist left in the US refuses to accept reality - Donald Trump was elected President of the United States! The "Resistance" is being led by Obama, in the shadows, but have not doubt, he is responsible for most of the leaks and the un-patriotic behavior of the US intelligence community. The Russian scandal is a pathetic joke - collusion, if there really was any (and there is no evidence of any crime by anyone at this time), is not a crime under the US Code. The Russians did hack the DNC and leaked emails, making the Democrats look sleazy, but this had no discernible affect on the election outcome whatsoever. There is no "Noose"! There is just an angry Neo-Marxist left in America.

The only pathetic screed is what you posted! The article sums up where things are at. WE don't know whether Trump or members of his inner circle acted in concert with or had knowledge of Russia's efforts to interfere in the election. We DO KNOW several of his advisors LIED REPEATEDLY about their contacts with a foreign government on their security questionnaire, a clear violation of federal law. As a former security officer, I don't understand why any of them still hold a clearance. That said, I have confidence that if any further violations of federal law were committed by Trump's staff or himself, Mueller will uncover it. Then it's up to congress to decide whether to sweep it all under the rug, ostensibly "for the good of the country" (as they are prone to do) or do their damned job upholding and defending the constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic. Personally, as a veteran, I'd like to see the constitution placed ahead of any party or their partisan politics.

The reactions to this vastly entertaining. First face reality there is zip no chance of convicting Trump even if a bill of impeachment through the House. Frankly they could catch Trump in bed with a little boy and they still couldn't get enough senators to vote to convict. So this article is laughable. I don't like Trump but impeachment is fantasy.

Not sure what is more depressing, the article or the comments. Several commentators seem to find necessary that we all just embrace the new President. Election is over... Some praise him for plain speaking and speaking loud and frank.

Being clear and direct in speaking does not mean insulting, lying and blabbering nonesense. Being clear and plain in speaking does not need to be accompanied by idiocy and onesided lies and fabrications, i.e. 'alternative facts'. Incompetence cannot be made OK because of plain language, specially if the messages are negative and filled by biased and often false information.

He behaves in a manner which indicates mental instability, impulsiveness and a lack of thought. American voters have allowed such an individual to take a position which includes a nice nuclear mayhem switch following him in a box for personal use. And we all have to now say thank you?

He ignores and insults allies based on flawed arguments, started a new approach to the middle east after visiting Saudi Arabia, which is dangerous. He seems to just really follow the opinion of the last person he visits, the sign of someone maleable, mentally challenged who wants to be told how great he is or 'else'... else what, some other ustable and narcisistic people took power in the past and it went horridly wrong.

I find it also amazing to even find a commentator accusing Bill Clinton for the financial crisis which started years into a Republican Presidency. If anything the banking rules were originating from Reaganomics. Anything goes to blame Democrats for whatever.

Another fantasy land, leftist wish list. A year of searching for this collusion and millions of $$ spent, and what has been produced? Nothing, beyond some neophyte's having discussions with a Russian lawyer about a law that Russia hates and the neophyte's had no idea what it was. The "noose" tightens only due to the relentless, biased, onslaught from a media that has lost its license to claim independence, it is safe to say that the media today is just an extension of the political parties that are their masters. Trump is not a great president, he has deep character flaws, but the McMedia continue to ignore him at their peril - they focus on the messenger instead of the message that the election Trump represented - people are tired of the politics of the political class and the rigged game by the elites . Why not write about something like that, which is infinitely more interesting and true, than another opinion trashing Trump that masquerades as journalism?

We don't know what the investigation has discovered, only what journalists have found out: that the Trump campaign's contacts were greater than Trump and those surrounding him had initially claimed, and that Trump continues to deliberately misrepresent them. But we should wait for the investigation to finish and report what it has found before declaring "there's nothing to see here."

In the meantime, if Trump wants to keep the investigation out of the news, here's a couple of pieces of advice:
1) get in the habit of answering questions (in general, but specifically on this issue) with the full and complete truth to start with, rather than untruths and half truths that are easily disproven a short time later. That way, when Trump says he has nothing to hide, the press actually may buy that he isn't hiding anything.
2) shut up about it. For most of the time the investigation has been in the news, it has been because Trump has been tweeting or ranting about how upset he is with it, and how Comey or Sessions or Rothstein or Mueller are being so unfair to him. If Trump starts acting like he isn't worried about the investigation, then maybe the press will start to conclude that he has nothing to worry about.

The column puts together in a concise form, Trump's performance as president, which is pretty awful. From Europe, he appears to be destroying American influence in the world. Many of the comments here could be written by Putin's people.

Comments tell us more than articles these days, because there is no new news. An incompetent electorate has elected an incompetent President. He will do incompetent things, and his followers will say they are brilliant or forgivable, because, after all, the Presidency is an entry-level position, right?

Barack Obama didn't have enough time in grade to become President, so the idea this guy who never served his country in any way, voluntarily or involuntarily, should be offered the job speaks volumes about who we are. Having the temerity to run for President when you have no business anywhere near the White House is not an impeachable offense, so we will have to find some "real" crime to get rid of the guy. At the end of the day, though, we owe Donald Trump a serious vote of gratitude. Obama's election showed us who we wished we were. Trump's shows us who we reallyy are. And it ain't pretty.

What a worthless waste of time both on the part of the writer and the reader. Trying to understand the objective of this post? Is it to inform (no new information presented), is it to persuade (no arguments or calls to action), is it balanced in any way that might provoke a reader to self-examine their current ideas or positions (hardly, as a variety of administration accomplishments could have been noted). Disappointed as usual in most of the Projects contributors for their complete lack of balance. Will continue to subscribe in the hope that one day you will get it.

After reading the ridiculous caption, I did not bother with this article but forwarded to comments to scan a couple of those. The alarmist, biased reporting is truly tiresome and the continuous attempts to grab attention with flashy headlines frames the entire conversation with red flags. Just hope the negative journalism can find some clarity in their personal lives to counter their prejudices.

Suzanne,
A Republican Congress has passed legislation putting President Trump in a foreign policy playpen. Just as his father sent him to one of those "military schools" that the rich use for juvenile delinquent children, he's been assigned a general to read his mail and watch over his office. A former FBI chief is investigating every aspect of his long sleazy career.

I remember Bill Clinton's first six months and I quote the grand dame of the White House Press as saying the "everything is going down the drain". Trump is just getting his sea legs with the changes he has made.
Comey's good friend Mueller could start a civil war in this country if he unjustly goes after Trump with a stacked grand jury. This article represents more what is the problem in Washington than shining a light on the truth. Earth to Elizabeth, the election is over.

The bias on this site is getting tiresome. And facts would be helpful too. There is a leak that a Grand Jury has been inaugurated but no formal evidence. What it will look at is difficult to understand as 12 months of muck-raking has failed to find a single example of Trump engaging in any illegality vis a vis 'the Russians' and the election. The Democrats aided by idiotic anti Trump Republicans have successfully diverted attention through this device from why they lost the election - Hillary's uncertain morals and pro Wall Street policies come to mind - and from Hillary's extraordinarily culpable misuse of government data emails on a private server and the conflict of interest vis a vis the Clinton Foundation. The investigation into Trump is a fake , an attempted political heist aimed at stealing the election victory back. How any democrat can support this coup is beyond me. Added to this, solely to coverup their own failings and misdemeanours, the Democrats are undermining the American Presidency and pushing the country into a dangerous and immoral conflict with Russian of a recklessness we never actually saw during the Cold War -except when liars within the US 'deep state' similarly concocted a phoney basis for the Bay of Pigs fiasco. As to Trump not achieving anything in his first six months, Clinton never achieved anything in 8 years except the criminalisation of Black youth and the take-over of banking by casino capitalists ultimately leading to the 2008 crash. Obama wasted his first two years having no idea of how to work the system. My sense is that the arrival of Kelly and the first signs that Republicans in Congress are beginning to look at potential felonies and obstructions committed under the Obama regime, are beginning to stabilise Trump's administration. And by the way, why should we not wish for the American Presidency to stabilise? Who says it's in the interest of either Americans or the rest of us that a legally elected President of America be undermined or overthrown politically - without voters having a say? I suggest the opposite. That given the problems of Islamic extremism and the global economy that it is in all our interest that the frankly frivolous and evidence-lite attacks on Trump's legitimacy cease. As to Russia 'hacking' the election: when the Democratic Party either allow the FBI to see their server or the FBI subpoena access to it, we don't actually have an unlawful act identified. And BTW what we do know is that some very smelly things went on in Hillary's time and many of them look a lot more questionable if not indeed unlawful than anything being claimed about Trump. The fact that many of her emails turned up on WikiLeaks - and were true - owed more to her playing fast and loose with classified material than to the Russkies. And the American people responded to the truth about her by rejecting her. It's called democracy.

David, the electorate gave HRC millions more votes, IN CALIFORNIA, only; She outpolled Trump by 3 million votes, but in California she won by 4 million votes. In other words she lost everywhere but in California. That leaves 50 states where Trump 's total was more than hers.

1) ACA has been a failure. It has increased the cost of insurance, which has been pass along to employees and absorbed by companies - thereby robbing wage growth.

It has reduced options and increased the cost of insurance for those who seek to buy it themselves. It has also added a myriad of taxes.

Republicans failed, plain and simple. This has nothing to do with Trump who has pushed as hard as possible. For 8 years Republicans have talked about repealing this. And with the ability to do so, they fail.

2) So much conjecture in this post. The Trump administration is being slowed by plain and simple treachery. Endless leaks from hold over government employees, a press that endlessly talks about Russia when real problems exist, and a witch hunt investigation that has been going on for over 6 months with zero actual crime committed.

Let me remind the worldly and global readers of this site - Russia is not North Korea. Meeting with Russian officials is common and routine. Meeting with Community Chinese officials is common and routine. This idea that Trump won because of Russia is childish. Trump won because Democrats failed to motivate their base - blue collar workers.

3) Trump continues to repeal and remove Obama regulations through EO's (which is how Obama operated for the bulk of his Presidency). Trumps appointments continue to peal back the roadblocks installed after 8 years of Obama.

4) It took Obama 1 year to pass ACA. Lets stop holding Trump, a political outsider, to some unreal expectation.

Attempting to impeach Trump is a direct assault on the will of the people. Trump will not go quietly and Republicans will not be spared from the Democrats. And the American people will see clearly what happens when they try and elect someone that isn't pre-selected for them.

PS - I enjoyed your site before the election as you provided interesting insights on global issues. Now your site has devolved into a joke, where "elites" thrash like children that the people elected someone they disagree with. I would suggest you change course and provide some different perspectives. I read simply to laugh at this point, but will never contribute a penny in revenue.

Readers - go subscribe to Foreign Affairs. Different perspectives and articles that don't come off as the whaling of a child that didn't get their way.

Hatred of Trump fuels a perception of his administration filled with bile, pessimism and images of incompetence. As a result it is almost impossible to gather any kind of objective view of the WH he leads. For sure, he is determined to upset the establishment applecart and such a evolution will create chaos. It is clear that confidence in the man is being eroded and so far he has done little to inspire trust. What worries me is what might happen if the establishment manage to oust him; his followers are not the kind of people to take that lying down, and nor is Trump. Mindless critics of Trump must watch what they hope for, because it may come to pass. Better to get rid of Trump by democratic means; and for his critics to construct a vision of liberal politics that wins the battle of ideas.

As one who has been watching Trumpian drama all these months (and the last four years) , I felt A sort of fatigue. So thank you Elizabeth for writing such a nice succinct colomn about White House circus.

Capturing the White House by Trumpists should serve an object lesson for all Americans that there were and terrible problems at home and both parties simply ignored. So, I say you guys watch out even if Trump is toppled .!

Dim Head : Elizabeth Drew has been writing in well known journals like Naewyork times and WashingtonPost. She has excellent writing skills. So her ability to convey the content so well. BTW she displays admirable courageous!

Trump is a canary in the coal mine. He has shown that a populist message can win. What comes after Trump is what should worry people. Instead of working with Trump (as his ideas are both Republican and Democrat), both parties work to obstruct him.

Voters want jobs. They want increased wages. They want enforced borders. They want plain speaking. Trump appealed to them and he won. Ignoring this lesson will cause more issues down the road. History and current affairs prove this. Sadly, people never learn.

The noose had better hurry up and finish it's work or the Trump administration is going to turn the United States into a by-God-no-joke police state. Trump's generals want more control than they already have, his Attorney General appears to be hell-bent on muzzling the press, and the man himself continues to drift further and further away from any contact with reality.

And the evidence continues to mount that Trump's party and its supporters will only cheer if we fall into a Trump-led neofascist nightmare.

Yes, I'm glad -- but understand all too well that a free press is always vulnerable to attacks from the powerful and the self-interested. I'm not at all assured by Attorney General Sessions' claim that the Department of Justice is "not out to jail reporters." If you've ever been a subject of official oppression, you know full well that people can be muzzled without locking them up.

Even Fox cable news has an important role to play in preserving what's left of our democratic institutions.

Curtis Carpenter: Aren't you glad that the press I'd really free and fearless and exposes the ugly face of politicians. Americans should thank their founders for this forthoughts. So far so good! Kelly Anne Conway complained today that the press is biased against Trump. She believes that the media is owned by Democrats. Of course she is all right with Fox News!

Hyperbole? Every administration is full of Generals. These individuals have a lifetime of public service in the most real way.

The press? You mean what the US comically calls Press. CNN is worthless for being informed. MSNBC is even worse. Fox is the other side and no better. The press care about ratings and pushing their agenda as it has been clearly shown that there is a liberal bias.

Please muzzle yellow journalism. Wouldn't bother me in the least. I get my information from non-US sources as the news in this country is a joke.

I suggest you read the Podesta emails to see how much collusion there was between the "press" and HRC's campaign.

New Comment

Pin comment to this paragraph

After posting your comment, you’ll have a ten-minute window to make any edits. Please note that we moderate comments to ensure the conversation remains topically relevant. We appreciate well-informed comments and welcome your criticism and insight. Please be civil and avoid name-calling and ad hominem remarks.

Log in/Register

Please log in or register to continue. Registration is free and requires only your email address.

Log in

Register

Emailrequired

PasswordrequiredRemember me?

Please enter your email address and click on the reset-password button. If your email exists in our system, we'll send you an email with a link to reset your password. Please note that the link will expire twenty-four hours after the email is sent. If you can't find this email, please check your spam folder.